Chapter Four: Isolated/Hopeful:

-June 10th, 2011-

Hisoka’s alone again. This time, it’s not so bad. The past two years helped him cope with his partner’s marriage. Hisoka vowed to never let himself fall down that hole again. He kept his promise with help from his colleagues.

Today, however, he annoyed him.

Hisoka looked at his phone. Tsuzuki hadn’t returned his calls. In fact, the older shinigami wasn’t at work again. Hisoka gritted his teeth.

“What is he doing?” he asked. “Why is he skipping work? Is he trying to get fired?” He could at least call back.

Hisoka paused when he heard sighing. He looked up to see a girl rubbing her head. She tapped her foot as she bit her thumb.

“Oh no,” she mumbled. Hisoka tilted his head. The girl’s brown ponytail swung back and forth as she looked around. She was sweating in her red and white-striped dress.

“Is something wrong?” Hisoka asked, shaking. The girl squeaked as she jumped. She panted when she saw his face.

“Huh?” the girl asked. Hisoka stared at her wide, brown eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “You look like a wreck. What’s the problem?” The female shinigami blinked at first.

“Oh,” she said in a low voice.

“What is it?” Hisoka asked. The girl rubbed her forehead.

“I’m in a pinch,” she said. “I lost my book.”

“What kind of book is it?” Hisoka asked. The girl bit on her thumb.

“It had a record of souls I was supposed to track and collect,” she said.

“Where did you leave it?”

“I thought it was in the garden. I went into the cafeteria to get a coffee. When I came back, it was gone.” The girl pushed her bangs upwards and groaned.

“Oh, this is bad. I have to turn it in filled out before the rainy season ends. I’ll lose my job if I don’t!”

“What does this book look like? Calm down and think?”

The female shinigami closed her eyes and breathed. “Small… red and brown… Red threads held it together… It smelled like wood and cardboard.”

“Okay, where else did you go today?”

Her eyes grew big. “You’re going help me find it?”

“Yes, where else did you go today? Think hard now.”

“Let’s see… I got up, got ready, came to work, sat in the garden for a break, went in the cafeteria, and came out the garden again.”

“And you sure you took the book with you?”

“I remember putting it in my bag. I always do. I did it this morning too.”

“Let’s start with the cafeteria first and look around.”

The girl nodded. “Okay.” She followed Hisoka to the cafeteria.

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Anna climbed on top of Tsuzuki. They shared a soft, romantic kiss. The rain sparked another familiar steamy quiet storm.